Monday 12 October 2009

Radio KSER-KPUG-KJR-KOL-KVI-KRKO-KING-KOMO-CFUN-CKLG: Holiday, O'Day, Wilde & more...


Subject: Radio KSER-KPUG-KJR-KOL-KVI-KRKO-KING-KOMO-CFUN-CKLG: Holiday, O'Day, Wilde & more...

Durham, England, UK * 10 Oct. 2009 * Re: PNW radio

Dear Radio Friends,

KJR: Eric Lacitis wrote a nifty story on Pat O'Day (8.Oct.09: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010021077_spanishcastle08m.html)
If you have too much time, my radio ramblings are below. (Corrections of fact welcome!!)
Thanks to Edmonds High School mate Marty Corey for revealing the O'Day story on their KJR fansite: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=152584557405

If you were part of the golden age of PNW radio, you can send air checks to this archive: www.rainierradio.org

PAT O'DAY: He was top jock. I met him a time or two. High-powered, nice and professional. My girlfriend Gay babysat his kids a few times and said his family were very nice. I would compare Pat O'Day's explosive energy to Chris Evans, the tall, bespectacled carrot-topped jock acknowledged as the most talented radio (and maybe TV) broadcaster of his generation in the UK. In January 2010, Evans is due to take over the prime breakfast show 7.30-9am on BBC Radio 2, from present Togmaster (Terry's Old Geezers) Terry Wogan. Wogan, 68, operates on time delay, funny as a crutch for his 6 million listeners, one whom is rumoured to be Queen Liz II. When visiting Seattle I listen to BBC on http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/ when not on http://www.957kjrfm.com/main.html (KJR informs me Rush Limbaugh is to be a Miss America judge. Go figure.)

ON THE BORDER: I'm from Lynden, so it was tough getting KJR around Mt. Baker, unless the atmospherics were just right. I sampled KJR but was solidly into KPUG Bellingham, CFUN Vancouver (Fred Latrimo, Tom Peacock - and Red Robinson still webcasts!), and CKLG Vancouver (Stevie Wonder, Peter Starr), before KOL popped up as the alternative to KJR. KJR was mainstream, playing the Association, Carpenters & Grassroots more than the Byrds, Jefferson Airplane or Steppenwolf. (Tho' right now I'd give half my kingdom just to hear another KJR Herfy's Drive-in commercial.) Gotta give O'Day his due vis-à-vis Jimi Hendrix – he let Hendrix play at Sea-Tac's Spanish Castle in the early '60s ('SC Magic' on Axis Bold as Love), and I saw O'Day introduce Hendrix in Seattle Arena in 1968.

WILDE SIDE: In my opinion, Kirk Wilde was the best music jock ever at KPUG or KOL (like many, he also hit KRKO, and KING for years). Too bad he did not seem to fit the KJR profile. Today Kirk resides with his fantastic music collection in Denver, often playing the Ronnettes, dedicated to union and political work, after years at a popular blues station (Wilde introduced me to Solomon Burke and James Brown, tho' nowadays he lobbies for admission of Abba to the Rock & Roll Museum in Cleveland.)

HOLIDAY & KPUG: Danny Holiday is the best presenter I know who brings the Buddy Holly spirit of the 1950-60s to the 21st century. I'm from Lynden and got into the studios of KPUG (1170AM) Bellingham, the few times they forgot to lock the door. Some of Seattle's best jocks worked at KPUG including Charlie Brown, Norm Gregory (later at KOMO with Larry Nelson till a sports coup d'tat), Gary Shannon, Kirk Wilde and Danny Holiday. One day I got to watch in the music room, trap shut, as music director Danny assembled the playlist.

GARY SHANNON: A couple times Shannon took me into the production room to make commercials. I thought my voice was awful. I considered a name change, but 'Levi Soul' hardly helped the voice. Shannon & I once met at a drive-in in Sumas to plan my radio career (more on how that dinna happen below). It must've been 1966, before he went into the army. Later he landed at KJR, before moving into a long career elsewhere in the States (lore is on the web).

WILDE NIGHTS: At the end of the afternoon kIRK Wilde cruised Sunset Drive to KPUG in his cherry 1958 Chevy and, as shadows lengthened, the music turned real thoughtful, with Aaron Neville, Major Lance and Carla Thomas for those crazy college kids parking on Sehome Hill. Lots of rhythm & blues, but also jet-fuelled PNW rock screamed out of Kirk's shows - the Sonics, Wailers, Mark Lindsay with Paul Revere & the Raiders, Tina Turner too. I won a lot of records in phone-in contests. Accompanying Wilde on the Magic Twanger (the French horn of percussion instruments) was Julius T. Funkley, his faithful, if shrill-voiced, apprentice. I understand Julius is the cousin of KJRB-KJR Charlie Brown's 1970s' acolyte Clydie-Clyde-Clyde-the-Cow's-Outside (Clydie arrived at KJR about 7 years after Charlie Brown left KPUG where he'd read nightly letters from his Mother, worried about his welfare in sin-sick Bellingham.

KJR 1970s: Charlie Brown & Clydie left KJR about 1979, when Sgt. Gary Lockwood and newshound Greg Hersholt (now KIRO news) promoted law & order on 'Police Blotter'. Charlie Brown fronted successful dance station KUBE, inspiring my kid brother Craig Jenkins who's been a fun dance deejay since 1992 (http://www.djdice.com/).

MORE KPUG: There were many presenters I recall from KPUG. Dave Hall was always good for a chat when he scoured the streets of Lynden for commercials. Michael T. Forney locked the studio door and played 'Telstar' ceaselessly by Joe Meek & the Tornadoes, one winter night in 1962. The KPUG Live Guys mounted a fun investigation called 'Who was the Mug who stole the K from PUG?' B'ham's answer to Carnaby Street was the Toggery, a prime advertiser. Sadly, as the Vietnam War persisted, the culture wars hottened and edgy blues or psychedelic music was exiled by community sentiment & a new Cromwellian programme director. The music fun was done, tho' KPUG lives on as top sports station in Bellingham featuring anchor (& dddistant cousin?) Mark Scholten.
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IT ENDED IN HOSPITAL: Great PNW broadcasters gave me a radio jones that won't go away. I never got anywhere in radio around Seattle. Happily, I did announce WMRRA motorcycle races at SIR/Pacific Raceway, Kent, a few years. Me Mum says my career peaked announcing a motorcycle race at Monroe Speedway, alongside her fave Bob Hardwick of KVI fame - a station whose 'Sound of the City in the City by the Sound' defined beautiful, under-populated Seattle in 1961. What finally got my ya-yas out was a stint in the peculiar British institution of Hospital Radio, in a break between journalism and academia. Colleagues agree my 'Tribute to Canada - Friendly Giant to the North' was... unique. I was also first to play rap (not to mention Pink Floyd's Ummagumma) at Durham Hospital Radio, but no causal link was ever proven between my shows and mysterious spikes in empty beds.
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BACK TO DANNY HOLIDAY. There's more info about his origins in Everett and Anacortes on his webpage: http://www.dannyholiday.com Holiday is an aficionado of PNW groups like the Fleetwoods and Cascades. He spent years at record companies dealing with artists like Bobbie Vee, Buddy Knox, the great Roy Orbison, Dave Clark and the Beatles. I recall that the USA lagged a year behind Canada when it came to Beatlemania – jocks like Kirk Wilde and Danny Holiday helped rectify that.

Danny Holiday spent decades at the end of the Seattle AM dial perfecting The Rock & Roll Time Machine. His shows feature rare takes of big stars. Danny tried retirement for 10 years and that didn't catch. So he & TRRTM are back on Everett public radio KSER 90.7 FM, Sundays from 11am-1pm. I live in Northeast England, so my wife and I catch him on: http://www.kser.org/category/dj/danny-holiday

What has never changed about Danny Holiday is his aura of friendly, enthusiastic fandom. He's been called a babe magnet, and probably could have made it as a singer. But, an infectious love of rock & roll seems to motivate him and attract us to his warm, fun voice.

Danny Holiday broadcasts Sundays 11am-1pm. Below my signature are his links and a playlist. Elvis is no surprise. If you like the show, please support it with emails & maybe a few $1 dollar bills.

Cheers –
Bruce Scholten
http://milkandmotorcycles.blogspot.com/
**

--- Original Message ---
From: danny@dannyholiday.com To: Holiday
Sent: Friday, October 09, 2009 4:31 AM

I hope you like this, it's kinda different.
Listen on KSER: http://www.kser.org/category/dj/danny-holiday
Web: http://www.dannyholiday.com

KSER
11.Oct.09
Title Artist CD Cut # Notes
Jailhouse Rock Elvis Elvis 15 take 6
Little Sister Elvis Elvis 212 take 9
Joshua Fit The Battle Elvis Elvis 226 take 2
Swing Down Sweet Chariot Elvis Elvis 227 take 4

Tragedy Thomas Wayne Golden R & R 9
Girl Next Door `Thomas Wayne Fernwood 4
Mojo Workout Larry Bright Golden 8
Hotrod Lincoln Johnny Bond Golden 830

Something Happens Dante Dan's 1315
It's All Over Now Valentinos Dan's 11
Arizona Mark Lindsay Dan's 1116
Do Waa Diddy Manfred Mann Dan's 1117

Come Softly Fleetwoods Double Play 24 demo
It's You Alone Wailers Double Play 24

All Cried Out Dusty Springfield Dan's 8
Stay Awhile Dusty Springfield Dan's 9
I Know A Heartache Jennifer Warren Dan's 87

Leave My Woman Alone Everly Bros Outtakes 8 take 1
Rip It Up Everly Bros Outtakes 9 take 4
Dream Everly Bros Rhino 6 take 7
Bird Dog Everly Bros Outtakes 16take 1

River DeepTina Turner Dan's 148master
River DeepTina Turner Dan's 159No Tina

Rama Lama Ding Dong EdselsR&R 43
Flamingo Express Royaltones R&R 44
New Orleans US Bonds R&R 45
Drip Drop Dion R&R 47

Roll Over Beethoven Beatles1st 4 CD 1
Tell Me Why Beatles1st 4 CD 2
Any Time At All Beatles 1st 4 CD 28
I'll Cry Instead Beatles 1st 4 CD 2

River Deep Nilsson CD 29


Danny Holiday, Tucker Ranch

Listen to Danny each Sunday between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm Pacific Time on KSER FM 90.7 or stream at www.KSER.org Website www.DannyHoliday.com
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